Spokane Symphony announces 80th season lineup, with classics and newer works alike

The Spokane Symphony is looking to make their 80th season a historic one, reaching new heights while fully embracing the longstanding culture and community of the city.

One of the symphony’s ever consistent shining jewels is the Masterworks series, which will consist of nine weekends of performances, including the season opener on Sept. 13.

Music Director James Lowe describes Masterworks as the “flagship” of the symphony. It features the all-time greats of classical music as it explores pieces by renowned composers from Gustav Mahler to Claude Debussy, Leonard Bernstein to Mozart, and just about everything in between.

For the 2025-26 season, Masterworks features a range of newer pieces as well as those from the powerful female composers of the early 20th century.

The symphony will be offering three special “Masterworks and Mimosas” events, in which the Saturday morning rehearsal will be open for a more private and casual viewing experience. Coffee, pastries and, of course, a mimosa, come with the ticket.

“You can see a little bit under the hood of the car and see how we put things together … It’s a more relaxed inside look at how we do what we do,” Lowe said.

Meanwhile, the five sets within the Pops series feature a heavy variation this season, as the symphony explores the hits of the ‘80s to Broadway favorites and classic holiday tunes.

“It’s just a slightly broader range of styles of music than the Masterworks, which tend to be the kind of classical music you’d expect,” Lowe said.

Similar to the Pops performances are the Symphony Specials. These unique events range from performances at the St. John’s Cathedral and ringing in the new year with Beethoven’s masterful Ninth Symphony to the beloved music of “La La Land,” Studio Ghibli and more.

The Symphony Specials will also feature two sensory-friendly events that include altered lighting levels, sensory support tools, the flexibility to move around during the show and less intense sounds from the orchestra. The performances will be of “The Nutcracker” ballet as well as the music of “Harry Potter.”

Lowe is particularly excited about these additions because of an experience during last season’s sensory-friendly “Nutcracker” performance. He had multiple parents of children with sensory-friendly needs express their gratitude for being able to continue their own family traditions, and Lowe was even inspired to play the music of “Harry Potter” through an interaction with one of those children.

“One of the kids there actually said to me, pretty directly, ‘You should do this for ‘Harry Potter.’ I like ‘Harry Potter,’ and so I was like, ‘OK!’” Lowe said with a laugh.

Another event Lowe is particularly excited about is a Viennese ball-style gala fundraiser that will be hosted at the Davenport Hotel next April. During the event, attendees can dance while being serenaded by the live orchestra.

“And we will provide instruction. If you don’t know how to waltz, you will by the end of that night,” Lowe said.

The symphony hopes to shake pre-existing stereotypes that their music events are exclusively for members of the upper class or older generations, and combatting this ideology is a goal of marketing director Kathy Gustafson.

The symphony offers free Masterworks entry to students, grades K-12, and a $40 “College Card” to attend nine Masterworks performances. With events like the Pops series, or the music of Studio Ghibli and “La La Land,” they hope younger audiences can further investigate the diverse world of orchestral music – classical or modern.

“People want to self-identify,” Gustafson said. “Some people say, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I see myself going to see a symphony concert. What’s that going to look like for me? Will I be comfortable? What do I wear? Is it going to be all old people?’ But it’s really not.

“We want people to self-identify with coming, so we’re trying to do a lot of offerings and different kinds of things that would appeal to all ages.”

The symphony is also fully diving into the slogan, “Our Symphony, Our City,” as they celebrate the 80th season by exploring comparisons between the city and its symphony – a sense of pride, culture, community and a love for the arts. A key part of this ideology is the extremely conscious efforts they are making to broaden community outreach and engagement.

“What the brochure shows you is what we do onstage at the Fox, but what it doesn’t show you is all the other work we are doing out in the community,” Lowe said. “That makes me incredibly proud, and I think the impact we can have in Spokane is huge, and I really love that.”

These efforts include working with local schools, a growing music aiding dementia program, lectures, conductor workshops, and more.

“We just want to embrace our city and have them embrace us back,” Gustafson said.

Various 2025-26 season subscriptions are available now through the Fox Theater website. Current season ticketholders can renew their subscriptions until June 21 by calling the box office at (509) 624-1200 or by visiting the theater website, as well.

As Masterworks audiences are generally not as full as some other symphony offerings, the seating availability for Masterworks performance have changed. As a result, some subscription seats in the balcony will be moved to a new location. Most ticketholders affected by the change were given a call last week about the move.

“The decision to close the balcony is meant to focus on seating in the orchestra and loge level and bring all guests closer to the performance, musicians and other music lovers for a more rewarding experience every time,” Gustafson wrote in a release.

“Now you can get orchestra level tickets for balcony prices,” Gustafson added by phone.

Single tickets for symphony concerts will be on sale to the general public on Aug. 1.